Pinky swear
by thecrooktomyassassin
Summary: Spencer has a late night talk with Olivia after his release and Mr. Scratch's ambush on the team. (Follow up to "Aftermath of the Scratch") CANON DIVERGENCE


"Daddy!" Spencer heard the echoing cry of his daughter. His eyes opened immediately, facing JJ's golden locks. The blonde was fast asleep and after the days they had, he didn't blame her.

He slowly slid out of bed, putting on his slippers and reaching for his glasses on the night stand. He opened the hallway light as he walked in Olivia's room and found her sitting up on her bed, crying. Her nightlight was still on, small stars being projected all around the walls and ceiling. As soon as she saw Spencer walking in her eyes widened and she started sobbing.

"Livie, what's wrong?" He asked her; sitting on her bed and facing the little girl.

"Will you go again, daddy?" Spencer felt his heart break in his chest. Livie was scared that he would leave them again.

One day he was going to get medicine for Diana and the other he was being arrested and thrown into prison. Not being able to see his children killed him and he realized that it affected them too, more than he thought.

"No. Of course not." Answered Spencer and reached out to wipe the tears from his daughter's cheeks. "I didn't want to leave you. I was forced to be away and I told mommy to take care of you and tell you how much I love you every day and night. And she did an amazing job like I knew she would. But now I am back and I'm not going to let _anyone_ take me away from you; ever again." The two year old sniffled.

"Eally?" Spencer laughed softly; seeing his daughter's eyes light up.

"Really. Pinky swear." He offered his pinky; their own little pact ever since Olivia could understand what her father was telling her. She entwined her tiny pinky finger with Spencer's and smiled.

"Inky swear!" Olivia giggled happily. The weight slowly lifted off of Spencer's chest, just as Olivia reached out… and touched his bloody knuckles. "Daddy, you okay?" Her tone was concerned; her over-the-average intelligence helping her understand that Spencer was hurt.

He remembered hitting the wall on the gas station he stopped to fill the tank of the car the previous day; his knuckles tearing and letting the blood smear on the spot of the concrete he was hitting frantically. When he returned home, JJ immediately noticed; making him talk about it within minutes and letting her treat it and apply some hydrogen peroxide on the open wound.

"I just hit my hand by accident this morning, little genius. Nothing to worry about." He explained softly and Olivia nodded before reaching for the book on her nightstand. It was a gift from Jack and Aaron for her birthday and she has come to love the plot, understanding it very well despite the young of her age. Already having gone through a familiar process with Henry, JJ and Spencer knew much better how to handle a gifted child.

"Pease, daddy?" She questioned; big puppy eyes that looked too much like her mother's making Spencer do whatever she pleased.

"Only one chapter and then you'll go back to sleep, okay? Because Uncle Derek, Aunt Savannah and Hank are coming over tomorrow." Spencer reminded her as he opened the book, remembering where they had left off just a few hours earlier.

"Kay, pomise." She answered, lying down back under her warm covers. "Daddy. I ove you."

Spencer lent down; pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you too, always. Now let's see where we left off…"

Olivia had fallen fast asleep within minutes and Spencer walked back to the master bedroom after checking in on the sleeping Henry, where JJ was now very much awake and waiting for him.

"Did I wake you up? Sorry." He told her as he took his glasses off and slid back inside the bed. JJ narrowed her eyes, looking at him from top to bottom; making sure that he didn't hurt himself in any way. "Livie woke up and she was crying and you were exhausted."

"Is she okay now?"

"She is… She just… She was scared that I was going to leave again." He told her and the blonde immediately tensed. "I told her that it wasn't my choice to leave and that I never would again… I read her a bit and she fell asleep."

"Spence…"

"I thought about it. When I was in prison. Maybe Henry and she thought that I was gone forever. And I could have been. And they would have thought that I abandoned you just like my father did. JJ, I don't know what to tell them… I want to explain but…" She took his hands in hers, rubbing soothing circles around his bloody knuckles.

"Spence, they both see how much you love them every single day. And while you were gone, we all made sure to tell them how much you hated being away from them." JJ reached out and stroked the wedding band that was once again on Spencer's finger. "They love you so much and one day, you and I are going to tell them everything… If these two geniuses don't figure it out on their own anyway." Spencer laughed at that; thinking that it was a possibility indeed.

"I love you so much. JJ, I wouldn't have been able to do this without you." He told her, entwining their fingers. "The thought of you… it kept me sane in there. Knowing that you were home with them… keeping them safe."

"Spence, I missed you so much." JJ whispered; resting her head on his shoulder. "I missed you drinking all of the coffee from the pot every morning and I missed you organizing the closets. I missed the smell of your cologne and the fact that you always forgot the book you're reading somewhere." Spencer laughed at that, vaguely wondering if they had ever found that book he lost a few weeks before his arrest.

"I'm here now. Finally, I'm home." Spencer said softly as he pulled her under the covers and she placed her head on his chest; letting the thumping of her husband's heart lull her to sleep.

 _They were both home._


End file.
